Sorrow
by Emme2589
Summary: EVE and WALL-E try out a new reproduction program to have a child, but what happens when something in the program goes horribly wrong? Inspired by Ubernerd121 (again). Also WALL-E and EVE fluff. There's that too.
1. Chapter 1

EVE held Baby Hannah close to her as Leah played with a six-year-old Ted. Ted's favorite of them all was WALL-E, but Leah took a close second for sure. They were playing some game with light building blocks.

"Leah!" Ted laughed, "It's not fair that you can fly!"

"Wanna see up higher?" Leah lifted him under his arms.

"Whoooa!" he exclaimed, "Let me grab another block!"

EVE giggled at them, turning her attention back to the blonde baby in her arms, "They're having fun, huh?"

Hannah cooed as she grabbed EVE's finger reflexively. She was maybe four months old by now, and she didn't seem at all interested in Ted and Leah. The human nursery had maybe twenty toddlers in it, all hobbling around like they had an errand to run. It was such a lovely sight.

"Hey, Ted!" John swept up his son fondly, "How was your afternoon?"

"It was great! Look at the tower I built with Leah, Daddy!"

"It's pretty tall." he remarked, setting him back down, "How long did this take?"

"Not long." Leah replied.

"Let's topple it!" Ted pushed the block tower.

"No Ted wait!" too late. The blocks came crashing down, though they were made of harmless cardstock.

Ted shook his head, "That was fun! Let's do it again!"

"Sorry, Bud. We gotta head home." John said.

"Aw! For real?"

"Hey, Eve." Mary sat next to EVE, taking her daughter back, "I hope she wasn't too much trouble."

"Oh, not at all." EVE replied, "She was an angel."

"Well, that's good to hear." Mary tickled Hannah, who giggled sweetly, "Thanks for watching her for me."

"No problem." EVE said, "I was happy to do it."

"Well, we're heading off now. Say hi to Wall-E for me, huh?" and then Mary left with her husband.

"They're such nice kids." Leah commented as she and EVE headed home.

"Yeah, they are." something had been going through her head for awhile now, and she thought she would ask someone about it, "Hey, Leah? You go on ahead, alright? I'll catch up."

"Hm? Where are you going?"

"Oh, just to the science lab." she replied, "I want to ask Jonathan something."

"Okay. I'll see you later, Eve."

* * *

Jonathan was pouring a strange concoction into a glass by the time EVE showed up to his lab. He was captain of the Atlanta, and as EVE would later discover, a scientist. Though his experiments were mild, they were intriguing nonetheless.

"Hm? Oh, hey Eve." he lifted his glass, "Can you guess what this is?"

"Hmmm..." EVE studied it, not using her scanner (as he considered that cheating), "Is it a new kind of rock candy?"

"Sure is!" he pulled the string of crystals out and munched on them thoughtfully, "So Eve, what brings you here so late?"

"I just had a question." EVE said, "About that program that's been prototyped."

"Oh..." Jonathan put his rock candy down, "What is it?"

"Um...could it work? Like, for me and Wall-E, I mean?"

He became serious. The program in question was a robotic reproduction program, since so many robots were falling in love and getting married. It was called RRP for short. As of this moment, it was only a prototype.

"Eve, I don't know if you realize this, but that would be incredibly risky." he explained.

"I know, but...my sister has a child right now."

"Ah yes, Fletcher. He's a good lab partner of mine."

"Right, Fletcher. He's a lovely nephew, but I was just, you know, curious."

"Eve..." he breathed out through his nose, "Fletcher was made through an irregular data exchange when his mother converted into an energy vampire. The data mixed with her own and that extra code had nowhere to go, so it hung out inside of her and developed a conscious." he explained, "For all intents and purposes, he should not have lived, and I am very surprised that he's alive and healthy. As for you and Wall-E, using RRP to create a child would take quite a risk. You're a new model with top-of-the-line design built for speed. Wall-E is an old model built for endurance. You're so different that mixing your code could create an anomoly."

"Yeah, I know..." EVE trailed off.

"Look, all I'm saying is that you should wait until it's in later stages of development." he told her, "I would wait for at least version one point oh before trying to use it at all."

EVE nodded, "Right. Thank you, Jonathan." she saluted, winking one eye.

"Have a good one, Eve!"

* * *

"EEEEEEve!"

"Huh?" EVE was now with a one-year-old Hannah while she and Ted were teaching her how to walk.

"Eve!" Jonathan came to a stop beside her, "I've got it!"

"You have?" EVE had to think for a moment before she realized, "The RRP!?"

"Yeah! That! It's first design has been finished!"

"Really!?" EVE couldn't contain her excitedment, "HEY WALL-E!"

He flinched from across the room, coming to a halt beside her.

"We could be parents!" she gasped excitedly, "We could be parents like Mary and John! Isn't that crazy!?"

He laughed at her enthusiasm, even though he didn't quite understand what she was talking about, "Yeeeah!"

"Calm down, Eve. I just said it worked, I didn't say it would be perfect." he replied, "Although two other robots have just tried it this morning, and they walked out with a new little girl."

"That's amazing! We have to try it!"

"Okay! Eve, you can come over tomorrow and try it out."

* * *

EVE huddled close to WALL-E in the dead of night. Neither one of them could sleep after what had happened earlier that day.

"Here goes..." one of the lab assistants switched the machine on, extracting data from EVE #1 and WALL-E. It hummed to life and instantly, something began to grow.

"Oh..." Jonathan turned back to them, "There isn't enough memory space in the machine to allow the concious to grow. We need a bigger container. Eve, would you be willing to lend your stasis chamber? It's perfectly suited to hold the new life."

EVE was a little anxious, "You want to put the child's mind inside of me?"

"Is that okay?"

"Well, yeah, but isn't there another option?"

"No." he replied, "Besides, it's best for a new child to develop near their mother."

"Okay. One moment please." EVE disconnected herself and dashed out of the lab.

"Where's she going?"

WALL-E shrugged.

"I'M GOING TO BE A MOTHER!"

The boys flinched at the sound of her voice.

"I'M GOING TO BE A MOTHER! I'M GOING TO BE A MOTHER!" she flew through the sky, screaming at the top of her lungs. She found Nos and Aya pushing little Fletcher on the swing.

"Hey guys! Guess what!?"

"You're going to be a mother?" Aya repeated.

"YES!" she flew into the sky again.

"Whew..." EVE returned to the lab, "Sorry. Just had to get that out of my system."

"You're excited, aren't you? Okay, hold still..." Jonathan opened up EVE's access panel and stuck something inside. He typed on the computer and EVE began to feel sick.

"Ugh..." EVE leaned against WALL-E, "Is it supposed to feel like this?"

"Don't worry. That's normal." he closed the program and disconnected WALL-E and EVE, "That should do it. Come back in three months."

"Okay..." EVE let WALL-E carefully guide her back home. She could feel the child jostling inside of her, and she didn't like it.

But at the same time, it was comforting somehow.

EVE stroked WALL-E's solar charge display, "Hey, Wall-E?"

"Huh?"

"How do you feel about all of this?"

He thought about that awhile before answering, shrugging his shoulders uncertainly.

"You aren't sure? Aren't you excited to be a father?"

He didn't answer.

 _Maybe he just doesn't understand._ "You know Ted? And Hannah?"

"Uh huh."

"John and Mary are their parents." she explained, "Their mom and dad. You know how John picks up Ted and swings him around? You know how Mary looks at Hannah with all the admiration in the world?" she paused so he could process this information, "You know how Hannah is just learning how to walk, and John helps her along? Cheering when she succeeds, and encouraging when she falls down? You know how Ted rides on Mary's back?"

"Yeeah?"

She looked at him excitedly but seriously, "We're going to have that. We're going to have a child to look after and protect, to nurture and teach. We're going to be like John and Mary with their kids."

A wide smile spread across his face, "Wall-E, faaather?"

"Yes! And they're going to be ours! And we're going to love them!" EVE felt her stomach lurch, "Ack!"

"Evah?"

"They can tell..." EVE buried her head in the crook of WALL-E's neck, "I love them already..."

WALL-E felt his wife's middle, and his eyes widened in wonder as he felt the movement of the child inside, "Baaaby..."

EVE giggled, "Do you get it now?"

He nuzzled into her, holding her hand in his own, "Evah, Wall-E...paaareeents..."

She held him as she fell asleep, "I love you too, Wall-E..."


	2. Chapter 2

"You're going to have a new little cousin!" Aya said as she held her son in her arms.

"I am!?" Fletcher smiled, "Will I get to play with him!?"

"Of course!" his mother replied.

"Is it Aunt Eve?" he asked, "And Uncle Wall-E!?"

"Sure is!" EVE arrived with WALL-E right beside her.

Aya gasped, "Eve! Your stasis chamber!"

"Weird, right? He's getting too big..." EVE patted her rounding abdomen.

"So it's going to be a guy robot?" Fletcher asked.

"Well, I don't actually know." she replied, "I'm just guessing, but that's my prediction. I think he's a boy."

"Robots don't have gender." Aya pointed out.

"What is with you and being politically correct?" EVE asked, "Robots don't have gender yes, but I refer to you as my sister, don't I? And you refer to Fletcher as your son!"

"Fair enough." Aya shrugged, "Just thought I'd say that."

"Can I feel?" Fletcher asked excitedly.

"Fletcher! That's not polite!" his mother scolded.

"No, it's fine." EVE replied, "I don't mind."

Fletcher separated his fingers, his palms brushing over EVE's middle, "Whoa..."

"What's going on?" NOS-4-A2 showed up just then, his purple cape swishing around his shoulders, "Am I going to be an uncle?"

"I thought you knew that, Babe." Aya said.

He shrugged, "I did."

"I can feel him..." Fletcher said, "He says he can't wait to meet you..."

"What?" EVE asked, "You can read his thoughts?"

"Yes..." he smiled sweetly, "Hey, Buddy...I'm your cousin..."

"Energy vampires can feel other robot's emotions." Nos explained.

Aya rolled her eyes, "It took _forever_ for me to get used to that! You're thoughts are so loud, Eve!"

"They are?"

"Eve! He says he loves you!" Fletcher bounced up and down, "He says he loves you! He already knows your name! He calls you Mommy!"

"He does?" EVE looked down, "Is that true, little one?"

"Hey." Nos laughed, "That's my line."

"Yes! He's alive! He knows you!" Fletcher was ecstatic, "And you were right! He's a boy! What's his name!? What's his name!?"

"H-his name?" EVE was confused, "Actually, we haven't picked one yet..."

"Well you should!" Fletcher huffed, "He doesn't know what to call himself!"

"Um..." EVE turned to WALL-E for help, "Any ideas?"

"Hmmm..." WALL-E looked lost in thought. He remembered one human he particularly liked. He was in sixth grade when they first met, but now he was almost out of high school with a scholarship in marine biology. But WALL-E did really like his name too. Oh, what was it...?

"Eric!" he decided.

"Huh? Eric?"

"Yeeah!" WALL-E said, "Eric, goood naaame!"

"Hm...it is a good name..." EVE remarked.

"He likes it!" Fletcher announced, "He likes the name!"

EVE hugged herself, "Eric it is then."

"Woo!" WALL-E whooped.

* * *

It was maybe four months by now, EVE was sound asleep beside WALL-E, the doors of her stasis chamber now a considerable bulge. She didn't mind though. She also couldn't open the doors of the chamber, but she didn't mind that either. All she cared about was being with her husband and her son.

ER-K.

Then, something jerked her awake, "Ow..."

Her middle had begun to sting. It felt like acid was boiling inside of her. Panicked, she shook WALL-E awake, "Wall-E? Wall-E!"

"Ugggh..." WALL-E opened his eyes, "Evah?"

"I-It hurts..." she whimpered, "It hurts really badly..."

"Huh?" he was suddenly alert, "Help?"

"Yes, help. I need help! It hurts!"

"Eve? What's going on?" Rio, being a light sleeper, had been pulled from stasis, "What's wrong?"

"It's Eric! I think there's something wrong with Eric!" she cried, "Ow! OW!"

"We need to get you to the science lab!" Rio swept her up gently and carried her off, "Come on, Wall-E!"

"Evah!" he chased after them.

Jonathan was still up by the time they got there, "Huh? I was just about to wrap up-!"

"We need help!" Rio exclaimed seriously while EVE was still whimpering in pain, "Something's wrong with Eric!"

"Follow me." he brought them inside and connected EVE to the machine. His heart dropped into his stomach, "Oh no..."

"What!? What is it!?" Rio cried.

"Eric is dying!"

"NO!" WALL-E yelled.

"We need to get him out!" Jonathan struggled with EVE's stasis chamber, "OPEN UP! NOW!"

EVE's doors finally opened and the information spilled out into the computer. Jonathan tried to free up enough space, even dumping some of his personal files, but it wasn't enough.

"I'll be right back!" Jonathan sprinted out of the room and returned with a rounded white metal box. He forwarded the information to the box and sealed it up, "Come on!"

EVE was still, her simulated breathing and clouded vision all that was distracting her from her dying son. She pushed herself off the examination table and leaned against WALL-E for support, "ERIC!"

The white box split into a head, arms, and treads. His eyes were blue LEDs, just like EVE's eyes, but they had the shape of WALL-E's optics. He was panicking, speaking in a voice that had the same robotic warble as EVE's voice, but the high-pitch of WALL-E's voice. He was sobbing, meeting his mother's eyes as Jonathan struggled to save him.

 _"M-Mommy..."_ he whimpered, _"Help me!"_

His eyes flickered off and Jonathan carried him away, likely to try another method of rescue. EVE was so exhausted from the ordeal that she found herself drifting into restless sleep.

The last thing she heard was WALL-E scream, _"ERIC!"_

* * *

"Where is he!?" EVE grabbed Jonathan by the collar of his shirt, "Tell me where you're keeping my son!"

"Eve..." Jonathan tried to calm her down. She had woken up at 5 in the morning and refused to sleep again until she knew Eric was safe. WALL-E was just as frantic as her, so he didn't complain as they hurried to Jonathan's lab at 5:30 AM.

"Eve..." Jonathan repeated, trying to speak his mind as sensitively as possible, "He fought long and hard...he was very strong...but..." he shook his head, "...he didn't make it...I'm sorry..."

EVE couldn't believe what her auditory processors were telling her.

Her son had died?

She was the mother of a dead child?

"No..." she felt the dread settle over her like a raincloud, "No! That can't be! He was fine yesterday! I don't believe you! Let me see him, please!"

The apologetic look on Jonathan's face was enough to confirm. Her only son was dead. He had called for help. She wasn't there for him.

She didn't even get to say goodbye.

She expected to kick and scream, to break something, shoot her laser until the world was a smoking ruin once again.

But she felt nothing.

She was just...numb.

EVE didn't say anything as she left the lab and emerged to a murky sky. It was raining, perfect to fit the mood.

She didn't go all the way home. She stopped by the park, where Aya liked to play with her son on a sunny afternoon once all her work was done. Why did Eric die? Why did Fletcher live? He wasn't supposed to live! Eric was strong! So why did Fletcher live and Eric died!?

It wasn't fair.

She set herself down on a rusty park bench, listening to the rain fall. She didn't even notice when the water filled her neck like a bowl. She was too engrossed in her own thoughts. Thoughts of Eric's pleading eyes, his pain at having fought so hard to stay alive.

But he still lost.

She stopped feeling the rain fall on her and looked up to see an umbrella. WALL-E had caught up to her and was holding it over her head. He sat down on the bench next to her.

"Evah..."

"Hey, Wall-E..." she stooped down so he wouldn't have to hold the umbrella so high, "I just can't believe it...our only child is gone..."

He shook his head, "No..."

"Wall-E..." was he still in denial? "Didn't you hear Jonathan? Eric died!"

"No!" he repeated, "Here!"

He put a hand over his solar charge display.

"Wall-E?"

"Eric here!" he then lay his hand over EVE's access panel.

She held his hand there in both of hers, "Oh. Now I get it. Even if Eric isn't here, he's still in our memory, right? We can still hold him in our hearts."

He smiled and nodded.

She pushed his hand away, "That's easy for _you_ to say." she said bitterly, "He's gone. I didn't even get to hold him in my arms _once!"_ she blinked as she began to cry.

WALL-E frowned at the sound of her hushed crying, "Evah!" _don't make me cry too! "Evah!"_

He couldn't help it. He began to cry right along with her, the rain providing the perfect backdrop to their crippling sorrow.

"Eric! Why did it have to be Eric!?" EVE sobbed.

"Eric! _Eric! WAAAAAHHH!"_


	3. Chapter 3

EVE felt something hit her head. A beach ball rolled away from her as she sat on the park bench, the sun feeling hot on her metal skin.

"Hey, Aunt Eve." Fletcher picked up the ball again, "You wanna play today?"

"No." she replied gruffly.

"Hey, I'm sorry about Eric." he said, "I'm going to miss him too, but don't you at least want to play with me?"

She couldn't even look at him, "No."

"Aunt..." Fletcher dropped the ball, "This is no fun...Mom can't play today and Dad isn't here yet. I might as well be talking to a brick wall."

 _Why don't you die like he did?_ Whoa. She hadn't meant to think that. EVE loved Fletcher to bits, but...

"Aunt Eve?" Fletcher became apprehensive, "What's wrong?"

"Just leave me alone!" she snapped, "I never want to see you again as long as I live! So _Scram!"_

Fletcher was shocked, "Eve..."

"I wish you had died and not him! Why am I forced to look at you every day and be reminded that my sister's unlikely child lived but my strong child died!? Get out of my life you useless brat!"

Fletcher tried to glare at her, "Eve!" he shook as he began to cry, "How could you say that!?"

"EVE!" Aya held her crying son, "What is wrong with you!?"

"Aya!?" EVE frowned, "I thought you were at work..."

"I got out early today." she hugged Fletcher close, "It's okay. She's just stressed out, she didn't mean it."

"What did you do!?" Nos had arrived, "Eve!? Did you make my son cry!?"

"Um..." the reality of what EVE had said sunk in painfully.

"What has gotten into you, Eve!?" Aya yelled, "Having a dead child does not give you a license to yell at my son!"

"You'll regret what you've done!" Nos' eyes glowed bright red, "I could get a hefty recharge from you, ya know!"

Half of EVE wanted to apologize, but the other half wanted to drive the point home. She decided to leave before she did anything she would regret.

She hunched over herself in the shade of an old building. She was maybe a kilometer from the border of the city. Maybe she just wanted to be alone. It wasn't like her to snap at someone like that, it's not like it was Fletcher's fault Eric died. She surprised herself with that harsh tone, and the more she thought about it, the more she wanted to go back and say she was sorry.

"Eve?"

She glanced up, then looked away again.

Fletcher sat down next to her, "I get it. I miss Eric too. I'm sorry."

"N-no... _I'm_ sorry..." EVE replied shamefully, "I shouldn't have yelled at you like that...you had nothing to do with it...I regret everything I said to you..."

Fletcher ran his tongue over his teeth, "I know you do...I can tell how special he was to you...h-he loved you so much..."

They sat in heavy silence before Fletcher unfolded his wings and wrapped one of them around his aunt. He nuzzled her gently.

"If you want..." Fletcher said, "...I can be your son..."

EVE looked him in the eye, "What?"

"I could never replace Eric, but I could be like, who he could've been..." he leaned away, "If you want."

EVE chuckled, "You would do that?"

"Of course!" he smiled at her, "Mama always told me to be kind no matter what! She even said Daddy was evil once, can you believe that?"

She couldn't stifle a laugh, "Oh, yes I _can_ believe that actually."

"I can tell, you were just yelling at me because you wanted Eric back. I felt your pain. You weren't yelling at me, you were yelling at whatever took him away from you. Amiright?"

"Yeah, that sounds about right."

"Great! From now on, I am your official honorary son!" he shrunk, "If you want."

EVE hugged him, giggling, "You're so cute!"

"I am?" he said blankly, "Mom tells me that too, but then Dad says I'm big and tough. Which am I?"

"It doesn't matter." she said, "Let's go back. I need to talk to your parents."

"No need, they followed me here." he shouted behind him, "YOU CAN COME OUT NOW!"

"Aw man!" Aya emerged from behind a broken building, "I can't hide from you!" she grabbed the back of Nos' collar and dragged him out too.

"Hi Mom! Hi Dad!" Fletcher said cheerfully.

"Ratted out by the fledgeling..." Nos mumbled as he stood.

"Hey, Eve?" Aya said, "I'm really sorry about Eric, but why did you yell at my son?"

"I didn't mean it, I swear." she replied, "It's just...Jonathan told me that he shouldn't have survived, but then he told me that Eric was strong. He should have lived, and Fletcher should have died, so why didn't Eric live?"

"I don't know, Eve." Aya sat on her opposite side, "You surprised me though. I didn't expect you to yell at Fletcher."

"Me neither." EVE admitted.

"You won't do it again though, right?" Fletcher said.

"Of course not. I can't believe I did it at all."

Nos crossed his arms, lost in thought, "I can't imagine what it must feel like to lose a child...I'd sooner go a million years without a drop of energy than to lose Fletcher..."

Aya became downcast, "Same..."

"Well, whatever." EVE hovered into the air, "I'm really sorry, you guys. I just...I knew Eric so briefly, and now he's gone..."

"Yeah..." Fletcher rested his chin in his hand, "I really liked him...I'm sorry to see him go..."

EVE smiled, "Thanks for understanding."

"Sure thing, Sis. Hey, I know this is hard for you, but it'll be alright. Okay?"

"Right..." she suddenly got a spark of determination, "We'll try again."

"Really? Already?"

"Yes! I should talk to Wall-E about this." she zoomed off, "I'll see you guys later!"

* * *

EVE had her fingers crossed during the second extraction and all during the pregnancy procedure. Jonathan explained to EVE what went wrong with Eric, which she listened to attentively. WALL-E held her hand, praying along with his wife that this one would go better.

"You see, it was a glitch in the program." Jonathan was saying, "I've patched it now so an old and a new program will work well together, melding carefully so an error like this will never occur again."

EVE felt the sensitive conscious building inside of her and held her abdomen gently, "Who will you be? What will you be like, I wonder?"

* * *

"EEEEVE!" Fletcher bounced up and down, "Is it true!? Are you trying again!?"

"Yes, I am. Do you want to feel them?"

"Ohmigosh, yes!" he put his ear to her stasis chamber, a grin on his little face. He gasped in wonder, "This one's a girl! And she wants to meet you! Yeah, that's your mother...I'm your cousin, Fletcher!"

"How goes it, Eve?" Nos greeted, his wife not far behind.

"New baby?" Aya asked, "Not giving up, are you?"

"Nope."

"Come on, Fletcher." Aya pulled him along, "You have to go to school."

"Nooo! I wanna talk to my cousiiin!"

"Move along, Fletcher..." Nos replied flatly, "You can talk to her later today..."

* * *

EVE recalled the past few years with fondness. Ted as now 9, and Hannah was 3. EVE wasn't holding Hannah this time though, she was holding her own child. She was so beautiful, EVE couldn't believe her eyes were telling her the truth of what this child really looked like. She resembled her brother somewhat, with a rounded box body and smooth treads, but her head was just a little more rounded, with brown eyes like her father. She had yellow stripes on her body too, with the kind of orange paint WALL-E was given when he was first built. She stayed still, but she had eyes for everything. She just had to swivel her head around to look at the world around her.

In a word, she was perfect.

And what was her name?

EVE gave her new daughter a kiss on the forehead, "I love you, Willow..."

Willow. Like the tree.

"I love yoou too, Mama..." she cooed in her little voice.

"Wiiillooow!"

"Daddy!" Willow reached for him until he swung her around.

EVE choked and WALL-E turned to look at her, "Evah?"

"Sorry...it's just so sweet..." she was emotional, "She's ours, Wall-E! She's really ours! And...and she's alive!"

WALL-E smiled, "Eve..."

"Hm?"

He swiftly kissed her, "Willow our daughter...she's perrrfect..."

EVE laughed, "Oh my gosh! You're talking!"

"Updated driiivers." he replied, "Frrrom Jooonathaaan."

He was still having trouble, but he was talking! "Why the sudden change? I thought you were against being too articulate!"

"Willow deseeerves, veeery beeest." he sounded out, "Waaant to teeeach heeer."

"Yes, you can teach her that actions speak louder than words!"

"Eve..."

"I'm serious! You couldn't even pronounce my name when we first met, and now you've almost got full sentences down! I don't know, I'm just not used to it."

"Iiit's fiiine." he replied, "Speeeech therapy, heeelp looots."

"Well..." EVE hugged him, Willow squished between them, "If that's what makes you happy!"

" _You_ make meee happee." he tickled Willow under her chin and she giggled, "And sheee does too. Faaamily make me happee."

"Family makes me happy too!"

"Ack! I'm beeeing crushed!" Willow gasped.

"Sorry, Sweetie." EVE set her on the ground and she wobbled a bit, "Why don't you go play with your cousin?"

"Fletcher!" Willow sped off.

"She's just like you." EVE remarked, "She'll hold still when I give her affection, but as soon as I set her down again she's gone."

WALL-E gave her a sideways glance, "Weeell, nooow I can be smmmooothered by twooo perrrfect robots everrry niiight iiinsteeead of ooone."

EVE smiled, "Yeah...you can..."


	4. Epilogue

Willow lay the bouquet on the grave, her other hand in her father's. She read the name over and over again, "Our beloved son, Eric". They echoed in her mind every time she came here.

"Hey Dad?"

"Yeah?"

"What was my brother like?" she asked, "Was he like me?"

"A little bit." WALL-E replied, "We didn't actually get to know him, but from what I could see, you would have gotten along well."

"Oh..." Willow looked around, "Why are we the only ones ever here?"

"We aren't, we just happen to be here when no one else is." WALL-E glanced at a different tombstone, "Your aunt Rio comes here often to talk to Auto."

"I see..." Willow said, "Why couldn't Mom come today?"

"She's working. She'll come with us next time."

Willow had one more burning question, "Who do you love the most, Dad?"

"What?" he was incredulous, "What kind of question is that?"

"Well, I mean..." she tried to speak her mind, "Eric died, Mom is everything to you...I just..."

"Willow..." WALL-E hugged his daughter close to him, "I love you all the same."

"No you don't!" she argued, "You're always so happy to see Mom! And I see you look at Eric's grave with those eyes! You never look at me like that! Even that cockroach you're so fond of!"

She almost felt herself on the verge of tears. She could never match up to her mother or her brother, or even Hal. She couldn't be loved that much by her father.

"You're wrong." WALL-E told her gently, "I always look at you like that. You just don't see."

She didn't respond.

"Hey..." WALL-E straightened her out and looked into her eyes, "When I first laid eyes on your mother, I thought that there couldn't possibly be another robot that could match how perfect she was..."

 _I was right..._ she thought in despair.

"I was wrong." WALL-E continued, "When I met Eric, I was praying that he wouldn't die. My circle had become twice as large, my family had grown. When I met you, it was the same story. I could not believe how perfect you were. I was overjoyed to see you so healthy, and I could feel my heart swell with pride. I could not love you any more." he lifted his daughter's chin, "I see your mother in you, yet you aren't her. You're unique and special. And...and you're mine!"

"Dad..."

"I'm not finished yet." he interjected, "Remember these words from your dear old man; I love you. I love you, and there's nothing you can do to change my mind. Nothing."

"Daddy..." Willow held his hands, her voice betraying her inner pain, "Why do you love me!? I'm not special! I can't do anything as well as Mom! I could never replace Eric! I-I can't..."

"Willow! Listen to me!" WALL-E said sternly, "Love is free! Kindness is free! I could never give enough of it! And do you know why!? No matter what, even if you were the most untalented robot ever built, you're still my daughter! Do you understand?"

Willow leaned into him, listening to the quiet hum of his old hydraulics. She was still crying.

"Willow..." WALL-E tried to think of what else he could say, "I love your mother, I love Eric, I love Hal, but does that mean I have to love you any less?"

He waited with her as gentle rain began to fall. The flowers around them swayed under the downpour while mosquitos flitted about and crickets began to chirp. This is why WALL-E wanted to learn how to talk, because he knew he would need it at some point. He feared it wasn't working though...

Willow still did not respond...

"Willow?"

"Thank you..."

She looked up at him, her smile wide and genuine, "Thank you so much...I don't know what I'd do without you..."

"Shhh..." WALL-E held her close as she kept crying, "I'm always here..."

Willow nuzzled into WALL-E's optics, "I love you, Dad..."

WALL-E closed his eyes in contentedness, "I love you too, Sweetheart..."


End file.
